mi75

janet- i am a nurse too, also have Barretts and am also getting a sleeve. I had seriously long talks with both my GI and my surgeon. for ME (this is just MY situation) the risk of a 'blind stomach' is a very real issue. (your original stomach sit there, sutured up, and un-accessable. in order to further scope it, they have to go in between your ribs and scope it). because i have barretts, plus reflux, plus some stomach issues, they both thought that sleeve was better. this way i can at least have my yearly scopes. i definitely think there are schools of thought for both options. I would encourage you to seek the medical opinions of those you trust, and those you know are excellent in their fields. I wish you the very best of luck!

i TOTALLY get it. i'm still pre-op too but last night i had a complete and total melt down about mcdonald's because the fam was eating it and i was feeling all sorry for myself and such. i posted about who eats mcdonalds and this morning i realized just how foolish it sounded. i too am a food addict. i feel like although i will probably be able to eat most things again, the timeframe is doing me in. also, i don't want to just be in waiting to indulge in the bad things. i really plan to try my very best and just do what they tell me to do. not think outside the box, not cheat (by intention), just have a bit of tunnel vision and press forward. i hope that by the time my 'real' hunger kicks back in post-op, i will be past the addictions and craving only good healthy things.

I like the New whey as well. i was advised to use two a day immediately post surgery by my nut. i am still pre-op but go in 9 days, so i'm planning. i found them at Wal-Mart for under $3 each. each 'shot' contains 46 Protein (i think- it's in my fridge). i got watermelon and acai flavored. i was told the fruit punch is good but can't find it. i also have had issues finding a protein that works. One final note- Muscle Milk is THE Protein shake that i really like. the small 100 calorie ones, mixed with some skim milk have 23 protein each (1 container + 1 cup milk). seriously tastes just like chocolate milk, no chalky flavor at all.

i look forward to NOT being asked by my clients "When are you due"? (and having to tell them, 'i'm just fat')... I'm SO looking forward to doing things with my kids, and taking a much-delayed family vacation where I can do more than just watch.

thanks everyone for your honesty. right now i'm going through my 2 wk pre op liquids and it's making me SO focused on foods! in the end i KNOW that looking and feeling great is SO much better than any stupid burger....i don't know what happened to my brain there for a moment. a new morning and fresh perspective. it is likely i will lose my taste for the junk, and for sure lose the SPACE for it, so onward I go!

2 wks worth for me. i'm totally good with it considering that it is helping protect me from a pulmonary embolism, which i am terrified of...

agree. i really plan to eat well and change my diet for the better, and leave all the junk behind...but, well i'm just wondering about a VERY occasional 'date' with my kids, not a regular thing. like we both said, my hope is that i won't even really want it!

yes, well that is my hope, but a lot of friends and co-workers eat pretty regular food (pizza, chinese, etc.) post op so i'm just wondering...

you will find that most of the people here 'watched what i ate and exercised' so many times in our lives we lost count. when i had joined weight watchers for the 29th time i finally got a clue that it wasn't working for me... there is no secret to surgery, it is simply a TOOL to aid us. this tool DOES eliminate a majority of the grelin producing section of the stomach (it is also still produced in the brain) AND limits capacity. My surgeon told me that right now my stomach at capacity is probably around 76-90 oz. full, it's the size of a football. post-op, my new filled tummy will be around 6 oz., the size of a smallish banana. obviously if it can only hold that small amount, i have less calories to both burn and utilize. i am simply trying to put myself on a level playing field so that i have a chance to be in control.

me too. doing good but it's terrible. i'm actually lucky because i can have SF pudding,Jello, yogurt, and raw veg...plus i confirmed today that GUACAMOLE is considered raw veg with my doc...so it's my best friend today! i know that this is ALL about shrinking the liver, but i can't believe that we have to go from eating the things we were, to eating 'liquids'. uggg! two weeks of time put in to hopefully add decades to my life, i will survive. good luck!

i am still pre-op but have heard from many other sleevers that THIN CRUST pizza is the way to go post-op, and that around 3-4 months is typical. there is an entire thread for it somewhere! "anyone eat pizza" is the name...

i cannot believe how HUGE my stomach has gotten over the past couple years. i have avoided pictures for the longest time but i wanted something to document all of my loss and a final pic that my kids will hardly remember someday... WOW. now i can understand why i have been asked when i'm due. i have PCOS and carry it all in my belly and i seriously look about 54 weeks pregnant. HUGE. well, at least that part is over!

i can't believe it is so close already! starting pre-op 2 wk diet tomorrow and going to have my very last food funeral-my MOST favorite pizza in the entire world- tonight. i have the most supportive hubs and he is going to try and do the pre-op right along with me! anyone else? i have been watching the forums and haven't seen any other posts for 6/23 so maybe i'm the only one!!!!

i can do ANY Protein drink as long as i get my protein requirement daily of 70+ grams. I also like Premier. My nutritionist gave me some good advice of during the pre-op time to do more thick 'shake' like Protein drinks rather than the thin ones (Nectar,etc). So i have a bunch of samples of unjury too. i will be mixing the Protein powder with milk and ice in my nutribullet and making some really thick shakes to drink also. i need to get 4 Protein Shakes a day during my pre-op time.

good topic. i had laproscopic surgery in the past and one of my incisions DOES sit very close to my underwire. i will take a sports bra with me to the hosp just in case!

thanks everyone, and good luck to you all too! i'm also worried about fatty liver, since i am already formally diagnosed with a fatty liver i'm afraid it will be in the way too! i will be taking this pre-op diet very seriously.

well, i'm a nurse in a private practice and i can't tell you HOW MANY patients have asked me "when are you due?"...over the past three years....your question is way better!

hang in there everyone! i know this is an older thread but reading it helped a LOT as i start my 2 wk pre-op tomorrow. 4 Protein shakes daily, and then 6 very specific servings of any combo of the following: SG yogurt, jello, pudding, cottage cheese. Unlimited raw veggies, broth, SG popcicles and water. i know i have it much easier than most, being allowed to have some 'real food'. so i'm not complaining, just scared. going from probably 2800 cals a day to that. wow. i am already planning out my work breaks so that i am not around others when they are eating. it's got to be my strategy since my department has quite luxurious lunches almost every day this week!

i was diagnosed with pcos about 16 years ago. i have been on Yaz and Metformin for many many years (have one IVF baby and one adopted). i was told by my surgeon that the hormonal changes immediately post op will outweigh the ovarian problems initially and that most patients have about the same stalls, pcos or not. he also told me that although i am expected to have a normal weight of 125 and a bmi of around 22, i will likely still have pcos...

i agree with the above. i went through the initial appts about 15 months ago and then completely flaked. it took me until this last january to finally realize that i too, had really tried it all. i felt like i had made an honest effort to do it on my own with no success at all- in fact in all my efforts i got more and more frustrated and GAINED 22 lbs. keep coming here and search ALL SORTS of topics. read as much online research as you can. I went to all the major medical center websites that i could think of (johns hopkins,mayo, cleveland, ucla, etc) and read their bariatric center sites.i also spent hours upon hours on this site. i did also seek out youtube for personal testimonies from patients. Lastly, i would recommend going to youtube and watching a reality series called Fat Doctor. it's from the UK and was extremely helpful for me. gave the real ins and outs of bariatric surgery, prep, post-op, etc. i found ALL of these things helpful. many of us teter back and forth. that is normal. good luck!

i also have a tween daughter who is worried about me. she is rail thin and keeps saying she doesn't want me to change... if only she REALLY knew that i didn't prefer to sit on the sidelines and take the pictures all the time! i can't wait to 'get in the game' and start enjoying DOING things with both my kids but cannot at all at my size. my mom told me that she made a comment at their home about something bad happening to me at surgery. i've been spending a lot of time talking with her about it and trying to calm her. i think it's making me more anxious!

i use my nutribullet all the time too. i LOVE it! i start pre-op in 2 days. i have been using it to mix my Protein powders with ice and Water and make 'shakes' and 'slurpees'!!! it works great. post op i'm sure i will use it a lot too to mix my shakes, and then once i'm on regular full foods again i will resume my daily nutriblast!

i am shopping today. i am also trying to fill the house with foods for the entire time from my pre-op through 2 wks post-op for my family so i won't have to worry about cooking too much for them!

i wonder the same! thanks to the OP for your question. I have had a few surgeries in my time- a lap chole, ovarian tumor removal (benign), c-section, and ankle rebuild. I generally believe I have a good pain tolerance. My doc generally requires 2 nights in hosp post op but he said he would let me go home after one if i am doing great. PRAYING for an easy path, go home quick and little pain!!!!!

i am taking off 4 wks, which is what my surgeon recommended. I am a private practice RN. I don't do much patient lifting (just helping out of chairs, etc) but i DO lift lots of machines, boxes of charts, etc. I know there won't be any modification of my job once I get back so I want to take as much time as possible to be totally ready!